Jackie Saldana

Higher education institutions must ensure transparency when recruiting students. Vulnerable populations should be approached with much care. When individuals are experiencing problems, financial difficulties, or despair, they are more likely to act without thinking or act from desperations. As pursuing a higher education signify a commitment of time and effort and, in most cases, future financial obligations, prospective students must be clear about the expectations and responsibilities of a program. The same is truth with other susceptible populations, such as people residing in jails or safe programs.

Superlatives are dangerous because they tend to exaggerate the truth. Superlatives are more “marketing verbiage” that companies use to create a positive emotion among consumers, so that they choose that alternative we are identifying as opposed to the alternative that is in the best interest of the student.

Higher education institutions must be honest with the students about the responsibilities of pursuing an advanced career. Students who are looking for a “shortcut” are seeking validation of how “easy” could be to complete a career. This is a fine line. Schools do not want to scare students, but they do not want either to create false expectations. The veracity of these earlier statements will assist in building the appropriate levels of trust and commitment from the student to the institution, even after graduation.